


Withering Willows

by Scarly



Category: Xiaolin Showdown (Cartoon)
Genre: Blood and Gore, Depression, Emotional Manipulation, Gen, Lao Mang Lone Soup, Loneliness, Not Much Romance, Original Character(s)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-03-18
Updated: 2017-03-18
Packaged: 2018-10-07 06:19:23
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 8
Words: 16,654
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10354017
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Scarly/pseuds/Scarly
Summary: Kuro and Shiro have always been two sides of the same coin, they were as different as day and night. So when an old man comes telling them about Shen Gong Wu and the battle between good and evil, they have no choice but to join the fight. But will it tear these two apart in the process?





	1. Twin Dragons

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wrote the first four chapters a year ago, so if they're not the best bare with me, because I just got back to this recently and believe the chapters after that are a lot better. I will eventually come back and edit the first chapters. But for now I'm just going to continue writing it. Also the first few chapters jump between third and first person a lot, it isn't till chapter six that I finally decide on first person (another reason I'll eventually go back and edit it.) Also I did add the tag of Raimundo being paired with an OC, but don't worry if you're not into that because it isn't a main focus, I just thought I should add it in as a tag. So I hope you enjoy reading it.

Sunlight streamed through the curtains of the many windows in this room, dust dancing in the light like delicate dancers. A fireplace stood at the right side, the dying embers of the night before still waiting there. The wooden floorboards creaked and groaned, almost like it is annoyed at how dust settled upon its surface, only to be disturbed by the shuffle of feet from a girl who sat in a chair.

Her icy blonde hair falling lazily to the right side of her shoulder in a braid, a fringe straight across her forehead and for the time being it kept her eyes hidden from view as she stared down at the book she was reading. Her fingers carefully holding the edge of each page before turning it, she read each page and found herself hypnotized by the words upon it. She had nearly finished the book, only a few pages until she was done, this left her with a slight uneasiness to what she would read next. Despite the rows of books upon her shelf she could read again to occupy her time, she found herself wanting something else to read. Most of her books were modern such as the hunger games or harry potter, but some of them were older books, like the one she held at this very moment. The tempest by William Shakespeare, she loved his works so much and now she could add this to her shelf as she finished the last page and sighed.

She looked up from her book and scanned her room with her ghostly blue eyes, that shimmered like sunlight upon the ocean they were fragile they glass ready to shatter. The walls painted a light pink and a big door opposite to her bed. The girl stood quietly and put the book on a shelf and smiled at her new accomplishment. She was a tall girl, around 6 feet probably and a healthy weight for her size. Her body covered with attentively chosen clothing, today she wore a black skater skirt that stopped just above her knees, next was a chequered black and white top that had a petite bow at the collar. Her slim long legs were not only hidden by the skirt, but also a pair of black leggings that had intricate designs of several different lotus's growing up the leg while dragonflies swooped down low towards them. She pulled her cardigan tightly around her and listened to the small tap her shoes made on the floorboards.

The click of the door then caught her attention. The rounded face of her mother peaking in to look at one of her daughters. The girl smiled when she saw her and turned to face her. Her mind now filled with the thoughts of interest to why her mother was coming to see her when usually she is busy doing housework on her days off. Most days she would work till she was too tired to continue, while the girl when not at school would try to earn money by getting a job. Although it was unsuccessful so far.

"Shiro," she said the name of her daughter rolling off the tongue like a violin. "There is someone here to see you and your sister. Can you please go get her and meet me in the living room?" Her tone friendly and slightly concerned.

Her forehead creased in a frown at the concern in her voice. Who had come to see them? And why was she acting this way? However she shrugged it off and believed it just to be her motherly instincts. "Okay, I will go get her." She then watched as she left and then looked around her room, as if searching for an answer in the light that crept its way into her room like a guiding angel. Before she remembered her mother's instructions and wandered out her room, then down to the lower levels where her twin usually stayed.

The stairs screeched beneath her feet as she walked down to the basement. The stone walls grew seemingly larger. The old wooden stairs disappearing into the shadows below. Cold unfriendly grey floors beneath her. Now she pulled the cardigan once again around her, but tighter this time. Shivers dashed up and down her body. A puff of smoke bursting from her lungs at how cold the air was. Shiro kept walking until she got to the small creaky wooden door at the end. Her hand grasping the rusty knob and turning it carefully, and then entered the room.

Quickly she was met with the loud pounding of a girl's fists against a punching bag, each punch as fast as the other. The low beat of guitars and drums rung out from the old radio that sat on a dusty desk. The room had a low roof, a small window by the wall that was just big enough for someone to possibly escape through. The girl who was still furiously punching like she was fighting an actual threat didn't seem to notice her frailer twin. The one light bulb that lit the room flickered and swung with the vibrations of the training. At any moment it could go out and only a small glimmer of light seemed to squeeze itself into the room.

"Kuro?" Shiro croaked, her name harsh on her tongue, clearing her throat. Her mouth felt dry. By no means was she afraid of her sister, but she knew she hated to be disturbed when she was concentrated upon something. Almost in sync with her voice the radio started to break up, violently blurting out noises from the song that had been playing. Shiro cringed at the sounded and stepped back, covering her ears in an attempt to drown out the dying sound. A groan came from her sister as she hesitantly pulled herself away from continuing her training and slammed her fist down on the radio.

"Work you stupid piece of junk," she growled lowly as it died. "Dammit." She sighed once she realized she had broken it further. Shiro waited till her sister was ready to talk and finally she turned to look at her. "What do you want Shiro?" She asked patiently, a lot kinder to her sister than she is with most people.

"Oh, mother wanted to see us." She answered shifting her body uncomfortably.

Kuro rubbed the back of her neck and muttered something under her breath. Even though Kuro and Shiro were twins they had very few things in common, there appearance was the most noticeable due to them being fraternal twins. Kuro's dark brown hair had fallen to the sides of her face now framing it. Although it still managed to roll down the slight curve of her bust. While she had bangs that were side swept carelessly. Both of them shared a similar height, however Kuro had more muscle, she didn't have any bulging muscles but her body was toned. The feisty teen stared at her sister’s identical facial structure, Shiro wasn't as pale as her though. She was almost a contrast to her sisters ghostly eyes, Kuro's eyes were intense in there shadowy glory, they were the shade of blue you could only find on a cloudless night when the stars shimmered and the moon graced the earth with moonlight. But that was not the only thing that made the darkness more captivating. Because around the pupil it became a ghostly blue like her sisters, it was almost luminescent like the moon was caught in her eyes.

"So, why does she need to see us?" Kuro asked as she walked to her sister and started to follow her out the room.

"She said someone is here to see us."

"Who would come to see us?"

"I don't know," Shiro replied with uneasiness. For a moment she glanced at her sister.

Kuro wore a long vest that hung from her shoulders loosely, while the knees on her skinny jeans had been worn down a little and speckled with dirt. Shiro rolled her eyes at her sister's attitude to cleaning her clothes a little more often, or at least attempt to keep them from getting dirty. The walls grew even more as they walked back, but it almost felt like they were closing in on them too. Like the basement planned to keep them there. Shadows became gnarled and deformed as they crept after the unsuspecting twins. Of course Kuro was used to this, she loved the darkness more than the light. But the more light-loving of the twins found herself becoming anxious. Kuro followed closely, her eyes darted to each shadow that roamed each corner of the hall as they eventually made it to the stairs. This time they screeched with more agony, trying to support the two girls. Kuro's footsteps heavy upon the old wood due to her combat boots.

Soon they made it out the darkness of the basement, Kuro shutting the door immediately behind her, this meant she nearly got the chequered red and black shirt that was tied messily around her waist caught in the door. She brushed a lock of hair from the side and followed her sister to the living room. Where her mother and an old man were waiting for them. Kuro and Shiro sat on the sofa together, both of them sinking into the soft cushions.

To their left was their mother. Her blonde hair tied up into a dishevelled bun, while she looked at them with kind brown eyes. To their right was the old wise man. It seemed like all the hair that was once on his head had now grown down to his face, because he had a goatee, moustache and thick eyebrows, adding years to the already slightly wrinkled face. He wore a long white shirt under a blue short sleeved shirt, slightly open at the front of reveal an old gold medallion with a symbol on it.

"What's this about?" Kuro asked, breaking the silence that had fallen upon the small room. 

"He called himself Master Fung. He came to see you two about, going with him to his temple." Mother said in an uneasy tone. A slight concern on her face to how legitimate his claim to who he is and what he wants is, "I'm not going to anywhere." Kuro stated.

"Why don't we hear him out first, before we make judgements?" Shiro added, looking at her sister and waiting for her approval, she rolls her eyes and agrees to her sisters idea and leans back further. 

"Explain to my daughters what you were talking about before please." Their mother asked politely to the man who had been sitting there calmly the whole time. Listening and watching attentively to the twins talk.

"Thousands of years ago, a furious battle was waged between the great and noble Xiaolin dragon Dashi and the evil heylin witch Wuya, this was the first Xiaolin Showdown. Wuya pitted her dark magic against Dashi and his mystical, powerful objects, the Shen Gong Wu. In the end, Dashi triumphed and Wuya was forever imprisoned in a simple wooden puzzle box. The threat now averted, Dashi spread his Shen Gong Wu around the earth. For generations they have secretly maintained the balance of good and evil. And a long line of Xiaolin dragons have stood ready to face evil, should that balance ever shift." He explained carefully, pronouncing each word calmly.

Both sisters looked at each other, both searching for confidence in one another to establish their feelings towards the impossible things he just said. A silence hung once again over the room and a tension grew between everyone. Like smoke rising up from a fire the air was clouded with suspicion and uneasiness.

"Okay, now that you explained..." Shiro paused for a moment, unsure of how to continue.

"You sound crazy." Kuro affirmed. 

Shiro glanced at her sister, a glimmer of embarrassment for her sisters sudden rudeness ", Kuro. You don't just say things like that."

Kuro stared hard at the man and tried to find at least a flicker of a lie in his deep blue eyes, but all she found was a perceptive wise man, It made her uneasy that she couldn't find anything, Kuro always trusted her instincts, and they had never led her astray before. In the background she heard her sister apologise quickly for her rudeness.

"I am so sorry for her." Shiro said quickly, nearly stumbling over her words. "But what you said does sound a little unbelievable," she added quietly.

His expression hadn't changed the whole time. It was almost like he knew exactly how this was going to play out. "I know this must sound crazy. But the Shen Gong Wu do exist along with the forces of evil and we need the Xiaolin warriors to protect everything that is good. And now that has been handed down to you two. Shiro, the Xiaolin dragon of Light. And Kuro, the Xiaolin dragon of Darkness."

Kuro scanned him again and found only truth in the way he acted. She wondered how he knew their names. Although she believed her mother probably told him before they had entered the room. For a few moments there was another pause as both sisters processed what they were being told.

"How long is this going to take?" A new voice interrupted, a long green scaled creature slithered out from behind the man and looks around, and stretching his little arms slightly. Yellow spikes trailed down his back, a red curl of smooth hair at the tip of his tail and one at his chin, looking like a beard. The colour suddenly drained from Shiro's face. A slight shiver raced down her body.

"Oh my god it's a snake!" Quickly she hid behind her sister.

The little green reptile looked almost insulted by the way she acted, putting his arms on what could be considered his hips. And pouted, eyes narrowed as he looked at the hiding girl. "I am not a snake. I'm a dragon" he huffed. 

Shiro felt herself being pushed away from her braver sister ", sorry." She whispered smiling sheepishly at her error in judgement. Kuro continued her stare at the two of them, pondering whether to speak her mind or not. Usually she would have opened her mouth straight away and call bullshit upon this. But she had a gut feeling that they were telling the truth. Even if it did sound an unbelievable. With the creature in front of them it was beginning to seem very real.

It seemed like after a few words were spoken a silence would keep descending until someone had the courage to break it. "We need you two to come and train at the temple, in order to become a Xiaolin dragon and protect the world."

"I don't know. We can't just leave so suddenly, can't we have some time to think it over." Shiro asked, looking at him.

"Of course," he reaches out to the table and puts some plane tickets down onto it. Both twins looked at them, and then glanced back up at him. "I will be leaving now and give you some time to talk about it. Farewell." He said, without another word and left with his companion.

No one spoke for a while, everyone felt confused to what to do. There were two choices they could make. One, was to ignore the old man's tales and carry on like nothing had ever happened. The other choice, would be to use those plane tickets and go. But there are only two tickets, so the twins would have to go on their own. For a second Shiro looked at Kuro like she was about to say something, but then quickly shut her mouth. Whatever she was about to say wouldn't have helped the situation. Slowly the braver twin, Kuro, picked up the tickets and read them. 

"We have three days to decide," she said. The tickets telling her that the trip would take them to China and that it would leave in three days at midday.

"Three days? That's not long." Shiro muttered, putting her head in her hands. "What do you think we should do, mother?" They turned to look at their troubled mother. She had no clue either. She clearly didn't feel happy sending them somewhere that far away, but she had a feeling if they ignored it something bad would happen. Like her two daughters did have a responsibility that outweighed their normal lives.

"I think you should go. I'm not sure what this means and this might be a bad decision. But you two should go at least to check it out."

"She's right. I don't think this is a trap." Kuro said, her sister nodding her approval. "Looks like we have three days to pack our things." For a while longer the three talked to each other about the situation. If anything the situation wasn't as bad as they first thought. The twins were old enough to be on their own, or at least go away to places like this. After a few hours they realize the sun had already start to set. So they decided to instead forget the issue for tonight and relax, because in three days’ time they will be apart. Hopefully this would all go smoothly for them.


	2. The Arrival

Three days passed and the twins said their farewells to their friends and informed the rest of their family of their decision. The morning had been slow, and they would be leaving soon. Both twins stayed in their room and packed, pondering what lay ahead.

The midday sun squeezed its way into the Kuro's room. Her curtains shut tightly to avoid the rays creeping in the one window she had. At one side of the room was a small bed. The covers hung off the side, crumpled up and messy. While the walls were painted a dark royal blue that seemed to have flaked off the walls at the bottom. A large old closet had been placed at the other side, the door swung open carelessly as it was emptied of clothing. A petite chest rested at the end of the bed, long marks etched into the side some old and others new. The one door in the room seemed tiny compared to the rest of it, and she always kept it tightly closed. 

Kuro folded her clothes quickly and threw them into the suitcase. Today she was wearing her usual vest and combat boots. But instead of the skinny jeans, she wore denim shorts that were torn and tattered at the edges, with some plain black leggings. She paused and checked her suitcase. Nearly finished. Before continuing she sat down on her bed. Her body arched forward as she thought about what was to come. She was supposedly the Xiaolin Dragon of Darkness, or would be as soon as she started her training at the temple. Her forehead was creased in deep thought. Suddenly a cat jumped onto the bed and meowed at her. Kuro leaned back and allowed her fiery furred companion to sit down on her lap. She slowly stroked his silky fur, the reds going from vibrant and like autumn leaves to a darker more maroon or carmine like colour. 

"I'm going to miss you a lot, Lorn." She said quietly as it looked up at her, tilting his head and twitching his pointed ears. Lorn stared with his large eyes, the colour of melted gold and amber, his pupils dilated to become bigger. He moved his tail to the side, long and bushy, like a fox. She keeps petting him, the soft hair between her fingers, it almost soothed the tension that had been weighing her down these last few days. Kuro's expression softened from her usual emotionless expression. They stayed there a while, savouring what time they had left until she realized she had to finish packing. As soon as the thought crossed her mind Lorn leaped off her lap and onto the night stand next to her bed. Her eyes followed the energetic feline. He placed one of his paws onto something and looked at her, almost telling her to take it. She leaned over and reached for it, taking the object from under his paw.

It was a locket. The corners of her mouth were tugged downwards slightly, her eyes brimming with the salty sorrow she had forgotten, or had tried to. A sigh slipped from her lips as the tears continued to brim for another moment. But she blinked them away quickly. Kuro traced her fingers along the design engraved into the locket, the curve of each line so delicate and precise. Her own name was in the centre of it, while around the edge two fireflies fluttered their wings in mid-flight. The locket then opened with a click, slowly and quietly. 

On one side it showed a picture of a guy just a little older than her, Curly dark brown locks of hair fell freely around his face. His eyes like a grey rough sea when lightning strikes and thunder booms, but also a kindness behind them, however there was no glint of life behind them. The two resembled each other a lot. And her heart broke a little at the thought of him. He smiled broadly, his white teeth gleaming. You could see the kindness in his steely eyes. While on the other was her quiet sister, her icy locks of hair plaited like usual. Her ghostly eyes glinting with her compassion and love for life.

"Julius..." She whispered quietly under her breath. "Why did you have to leave?" Her voice broke as the door suddenly opened with a creak behind her. The locket snapping shut and quickly shoved into her pocket, before turning to look at her sister. "Hey." Kuro croaked, but quickly coughed to correct her voice.

"Hi, are you okay?" Shiro frowned, coming closer before sitting down on the bed.

"Oh yeah I'm fine. I just have a sore throat," She lied.

"Okay." Her sister nodded and looked around. "Finished packing?"

"Not quite yet." She replied as her sister tried to pet Lorn, but instead got a spiteful hiss and scratch from the ferocious feline. Her hand recoiled in pain as he leaped back onto Kuro's lap and she continued to pet her friend.

"Damn, that hurt." Shiro rubbed her hand as though to ease the pain. Kuro paid no mind to her sister's bleeding hand, but instead to her faithful friend who had taken a dislike to her sister. "How come he scratches me but leaves you unharmed?"

"Because I understand him and know his boundaries." She muttered, letting the cat wander away to the chest at the end of the bed and scratch at it. Adding more marks into it.  
She got up to her feet and continued packing, shoving her things into it. Shiro waited for her sister, for the first time she wasn't wearing a dress or skirt. No she finally wore a pair of pink and black skinny jeans that were splattered with both colours like clouds in the sky, while her top was a light grey vest that flowed down her frame and seemingly floated past her hips. The room grew quiet, like the shadows that waited. The sunlight that had crept in begun to fade out. The light scratching against the wood as the cat engraved it's markings into it, slowly and almost to disgrace the once smooth surface. Once done packing her suitcase she goes over to the closet and pulls out a guitar case, slinging it over her shoulder and grasping the handle of her suitcase.

"I'm ready. Let's go." Kuro said. Both walked out the room and left the safety of their house.

The twins sat back and let their mother drive them to the airport. No one talked. They didn't have anything to say to each other. The low rumble of the car could be heard just below the radio as it droned on. The car seemed grey and lifeless. Cars passed by the small vehicle. Fields surrounded them at both sides, the fading outline of the town in the background. The road stretched out before them, it wasn't long till they saw the airport. Kuro glanced at her sister for a second. Her sister was staring out of the window. Her eyes glinting with slight tears, an arm suddenly pulled her close. Shiro looked up at her sister, and she stared back. Nothing was said, but it was like she knew what she was going to say. So she wiped her tears and leaned into the embrace of her sister. Eventually the car came to a stop and they got out, leaving their home behind.

Hours seemed to pass like days as the plane flew from one destination to the other. Clouds rolling by like waves upon the sand, weightless and fluffy like wisps of a dying candle flame. The sky blue like freshly bloomed bluebells in the spring, it was clear, no sign of any storms or anything. A wind whistled past effortlessly, while stronger gusts of wind shook the plane slightly. Beneath the metal bird a large landscaped stretched out for miles, green fields laid out like emerald silk cloth, people below were ants scurrying around their towns. Within the plane the two teens sat in the back. An unpleasant smell wafted around the cramped area. People snored and others chattered loudly to their friends.

Shiro had decided to read a book, she had brought as many as she could fit. And right now she had her interests gripped by the one in her hand. By this point any attempt to pull her from it would be almost impossible. Her eyes darted from each word to the next, and she loved every minute of it. While her twin was instead enthralled with the music whispering to her through her headphones. She leaned against the window and stared out to the area below. She brushed a lock of hair from her view and brought her legs up, sitting with them crossed. Her music drowned out the continuous sound of everyone around her. She frowned suddenly when she saw something in the distance. The never-ending sea of blue being disturbed by something green. Kuro took her headphones off and nudged her sister.

"Huh?" Shiro looked up at her, quickly noticing her gesture to the window. The blonde haired teen leaned over and stared out. Suddenly realizing what she had disturbed her for. "Looks like they'll be waiting at the airport for us." She said, closing her book. 

The girls had seen a familiar long, jade scaled reptile. It was unmistakable that it had been the little dragon they had met with previously. Only now he had grown bigger, and more threatening. Although they doubted he would be any different from before. The red tufts still remained at his tail and chin, flowing enchantingly in the wind. As he flew swiftly like the plane to the same destination. Although despite how much they squinted they could not make out the faces of the four people already sitting upon his back.  
"This will be an interesting ride." Kuro said, about to put her headphones back on.

"Yeah it will be." Shiro giggled and put her book back in her bag.

Soon they landed and went through the security and process of the airport. Not sure of who had arrived to greet them into this strange country besides the dragon from before. Shiro, the more polite twin, muttered excuse me as she made her way through the crowd. Many awkward moments of her squeezing herself between the bustling groups of people. While Kuro pushed and shoved her way through. A muffled growl of displeasure, as she felt someone elbow her in the gut. The stench of sweat filled their nostrils making them gag. Many shouted to relatives or friends, trying to gain their attention. Most of the others however kept quiet and focused on getting from one point to the other. The chaotic movement of frantic hands reaching for bags, shuffling of passports and confused voices of many filled the airport. No area was left silent by the busy travellers coming in and out.

Eventually they did grab their bags and escape the sweaty, hot crowded death trap. Groups of people still rushing in as they left, while few came out. They looked and blinked at the desolate car park. A few buses were parked by the entrance, tourists hurrying into the smaller space that awaited them. With the amount of time they had spent trying to get out of the airport, their ride should have been there. Then a sudden gust of wind, it almost blew the more delicate twin over. Kuro's dark hair whipped in front of her view.  
"What the hell!?" She shouted quickly brushing the hair out of her face.

Shiro looked up and smiled slightly ", looks like our ride is here."

To both twins relief that same jade scaled serpent landed roughly upon the ground. Most stared incredulously at the magnificent beast. Kuro looked more annoyed at his careless landing rather than impressed. Unlike her sister who was mesmerized by his power of not only flight, but now changing his size. However the dragon wasn't alone this time, four teens hopped off his back. As his once mighty size returned to his smaller, certainly less threatening form.

"Sorry for being late little ladies, Dojo made a wrong turn. By the way I'm Clay" The first monk to speak to them was a tall, broad boy. His Texas accent thick and noticeable. Kuro and Shiro had always been considered tall, but he was taller than them. Not by much, but still he looked down on them. His hair a dusty blonde, like corn in the summer, mostly hidden by his cowboy hat. A bright blue sky lost in his large kind eyes. A few freckles speckled on his cheeks, and a round nose.

He held out his hand and Shiro shook it. "No it's okay. We just got out anyway." Shiro replied smiling and brushing her hair from her face.

"Hey I'm Kimiko." The only girl present in the group said. Walking over to her friend while the other two followed her. Her eyes were like two beautiful sapphires, a fiery passion glinted behind them. She had black hair, silky and smooth like a raven's feathers, tied up into pigtails. Her size was the opposite of her friend, she was the second shortest of the group. Her skin pale like porcelain.

Shiro kept smiling. Happy to know at least there was one other girl going to be there. Kuro however had kept a straight face. Her eyes scanning over the other two who had yet to introduce themselves.

"Hi." A slender Brazilian boy said. "Call me Raimundo," his hair was a dark chocolate brown that was short and spiky. Eyes like the leaves of a willow tree, deep and green, carelessly fluttering in the wind. He was the same height at the twins, looking at them both with a smile.

"Hello my friends," an unusually short boy said. His skin yellow and eyes small and black like coal. He also had an unusually large head for the size of his body. It was also very round and bald, not even one hair grew upon his head. "I am Omi." All of them like Omi wore these red robes with black highlights at the sleeves, they wore white pants with them except for Omi's which were black.

"Hey, I'm Shiro." Shiro said referencing to herself slightly with her hands. "And this is my twin Kuro." She did the same and referenced her. Kuro waved a little at them, it was clear which twin was going to be the more sociable one.

"Twins? Oh, I have never seen twins before. Aren't you supposed to look the same?" Omi asked curiously, looking up at them.

"Normal Twins, yes they look the same. Fraternal twins look different." Kuro stated. Before anyone else could say anything. Dojo then suddenly started to shake, grunts and yells coming from his mouth as he tried to gain control. Shiro looked slightly concerned about what was happening, but soon calmed down a bit after a minute.

"A new shen gong wu has revealed itself!" Dojo shouted, everyone looking at each other. Knowing that this was the beginning for the twins.


	3. The First Showdown

Shiro held onto her sister's hand tightly as they sat on Dojo's back. Her eyes widened at the massive drop below them, everyone else seemed calm and collected, even her sister who was leaned back and relaxed. Although there was a hint of anxiety in her eyes, besides that she was fine. Kuro moved her hair back as it fluttered in the wind. The sky around them was clear and blue. Winds flowing past carelessly. Kimiko reached into her backpack and pulled out an ancient scroll. As she opened it the blue circle in the middle swirled around as the name of what they would be searching for formed above. Everyone gathered closer to look at it.

"The culver crystal." Kimiko said. The swirling mess morphed into the image of two people standing, one of them used the wu and blinded the other person with light, so they could escape. "It produces a light that can blind your opponent for a moment."

"Useful for quick escapes." Kuro commented as Dojo dipped down and became lower to the ground. The sunlight streamed down upon them. All of them started to sweat a little. The grassy plains of Africa below them. Antelope munched on the dry grass, some of them looking up at them. There large eyes concentrated on them, until they begun to descend. Then the antelopes scattered and scampered away to safety. The grass parted as they landed softly this time, compared to how he had landed in the car park. Immediately they jumped off and looked around.

Everyone started to look for the wu, peeling back the long grass to see if it was hidden there. But no such luck. Shiro had followed Kimiko to the area she was searching. She had found comfort in the only other girl there besides her sister. And she believed it to be a great time to make some friends. While Kuro split off from the rest of them to look.

~Kuro's Perspective~

I looked elsewhere while my sister clung to Kimiko. Unlike her I didn't need to stick by others, it was better when I was on my own. The sound of my boots reached my ears, the rhythmic thump of them against the ground matching the beat of my heart. I covered my nose when I smelt something horrible, holding back the gags. What the hell is that? I coughed and stepped forward. However without realizing I had stepped on the edge of a ledge and slipped. Rolling down the hill and into the mud below. Dust was propelled into the air as small rocks rolled down next to me. I groaned and looked forward, to my disgust. The smell had been coming from a rotting antelope carcass, bulbous flies swarmed around it and buzzed. Strips of flesh peeling and melting from the bones. Maggots writhed amongst the bloody decomposing mess like throbbing fat tumours.

"Bloody perfect," I growled sarcastically. A sudden glint caught my eye and made me smirk. "Found it." I recognised the wu from the scroll. It sat on a rock in the middle of a stream, the water looked deep. But luckily there were some rocks that I could jump onto to get to it. I quickly got up and dusted myself off, expecting this to be easy. Until the loud sound of an engine could be heard and a hovering machine zoomed close and stopped. The dust I had got off myself was now back onto me, my hair blinded me as I brushed it away from my face. The top of it opened to reveal a boy not much older than me sitting inside, leaning confidently against the side.

"The wu is mine!" He laughed obnoxiously. His hair was a fiery molten red, slicked back and spiky. He was roughly the same height as me, his build was generally the same as Raimundo's, but he was as pale as me. Striking black lines under his eyes, one of them going down in a scar-like shape. He was wearing a long black coat with a high collar, black pants, shirt, boots and fingerless gloves. He reminded me of those kids who would act all dark and scary, when they were really wimps on the inside.

"Not on my watch!" I shouted, leaping onto a nearby rock and onto the next as he flew closer to it and jumped out of his machine at the last second. Both of us touching it at the exact same time, it started to glow. My unusual blue eyes met his crimson ones. A pair of goggles on his head, the lenses were yellow spirals. The culver crystal shared a similar look to a lantern, except inside there was a white crystal that from what I could guess was what produced the light.

"I challenge you to a Xiaolin showdown..." He paused. "Wait, who are you?" 

"Call me Kuro." I stated.

"Anyway Kuro I challenge you to a Xiaolin showdown, my changing chopsticks against your-" He stopped again. "Do you even have any wu?"

"...No..." I frowned and heard the grass rustle nearby, the rest of my team emerging.

"Jack Spicer!" Omi shouted as they all equally shared an unhappy expression.

"Can I have some wu please?" I asked, cutting them short of any possible rant they were going to start. Clay rummaged through his hat and threw me a small coin. "Thanks. Now let's get this over with."

"Fine. My changing chopsticks against your mantis flip coin. First one to get to the wu wins." Something floated behind Jack for a moment, looking upon the showdown. It was a violet ghost, long tendrils floating behind it like hair. And as a face it had a grotesque mask, with a long pointed nose, the eyes were similar to Jack's goggles. The swirling yellow eyes sent shivers down my spine, but I shook it off as just nerves.

"I accept your challenge," I replied.

"Let's go! Xiaolin Showdown." 

The area around us suddenly changed, we both stumbled slightly. But quickly got our balance. The rocks we had been standing upon rose from the ground like great pillars, the water staying at the same level. I instantly noticed the wu was now floating down the river, it bobbed up and down. My eyes scanned the area, all I needed to do was catch up to the wu. But that was going to be hard. Each rock covered in thick slippery moss. One wrong move and I was going to be in the river.

"How do we start this?" I asked, looking over at him.

"Are you kidding me? She doesn't even know how to start a showdown." He complained crossing his arms.

"If you don't tell me then I'll throw you into the river." I growled, frustrated by this idiot and his over confident attitude.

He gulped and quickly muttered the words we had to say. I sighed and readied my position, eyes trained upon the first rock I needed to go to. Then at the exact same time Jack and I shouted ", Gong Yi Tanpai!" 

Immediately Jack leaped from one rock to the other. Almost slipping upon the moss that writhed beneath his feet. However I shook myself out of my daze and jumped onto the closest rock, steadying myself, before jumping to the next one. The showdown started slow as we were drawing closer to the wu, still trying to catch up to it. Till I got stopped in my path by a large gap between the rocks. Jack had kept going on his path. He laughed manically and grinned like a moron, I growled lowly and got out my wu, my eyes flicked over it for a moment.

"Guess time to try this out." I muttered, before taking a deep breath and setting my eyes upon the rock I want to. "Mantis flip coin!" I shouted, leaping to where I want to and doing a flip in the process. I landed firmly upon the rock and stood straight, before continuing on my path to the wu. I noticed after a few minutes the rocks had begun to dip lower, closer to the rushing icy water beneath. Every so often I used the wu to get into the lead. It seemed like this was going great, until I felt my feet slip. Everything for a moment went in slow motion. My body being propelled backwards, a tangled mess of my dark locks being flung in front of my view. I tried to reach out to grab something, but my fingers slipped when they touched the edge of the rock. Then everything went dark.

Darkness. A swirling torrent around me. My body limp as I disappear deeper into the cackling shadows, their claws tugged at my clothing. The bubbles burst from my mouth as the air escaped my lungs. My lips parted as though just before I fell I wanted to say something. A bubble popped and I watched the tiny bubbles disperse into the dark depths. Locks of my hair weightless and fragile against the smooth current that flowed by. I felt myself sinking deeper and deeper, my body useless and limp. While darkness surrounded me, I did see the glittering shards of light shatter the surface of the murky water like a mirror. The light dull in my cold gloomy eyes.

Before a sudden power surged through every fibre of my body. An urge to succeed filled me. I swiftly pushed myself back, the tangled mess of my hair coming into view, before being whipped back. I propelled my body forward, the jewels of light coming closer until finally, they erupt in a mad explosion of luminescent fragments. My head breaking free of the dark prison, I gasped and gulped down the air eagerly. For a moment my senses are attacked with the sound of shouting and the blurriness of light. I blinked and looked around, my eyes rested upon my sister and the others.

"Kuro!" Shiro shouted in a concerned voice. "Are you okay!?" 

I gave her a shaky thumbs up as I took a few deep breaths and focused upon getting the wu. Jack was getting closer to the wu, leaping from each of the smaller stones. If I don't act fast I will lose this. With the small amount of strength I had. I began to swim towards it. Each movement made my bones ache and muscles gasp in pain. But I kept going, pushing myself forward towards what I wanted, what I desired. Victory. The thought of failure was stronger than the pain I felt. The vision of red hair passed the corner of my eye and I felt another surge of energy as I was so close to it. Both Jack and I were close, both of us thrusting our bodies forward towards the wu.

~Third Person Perspective~

The area suddenly went back to normal. The crashing of water against the rocks became loud and rung out. Within seconds everyone saw who had won. Kuro. In her hand the wu was being held tightly, while she was sprawled out across the floor. Jack lying near her, both had leaped for the wu. But only she had been successful. The purple ghost cursed at Jack, the sound of a screeching hag resonated in her voice. Jack, however sat up and rubbed his head and growled in frustration. Kuro didn't pay any attention to the ranting ghost and her bumbling companion. Instead she stumbled to her feet and walked over to her sister.

It was almost like magic Shiro suddenly seemed to be before her sister, her arms wrapped around her in a tight embrace. "I'm so glad you're okay!" She shouted in a joyful voice, a smile etched into her face. While the others joined them ", congrats by the way you won!"

"Yeah great job partner." Clay said smiling, patting her back. And for a second she growled at the sudden touch, before stopping herself. Her eyes were full of anger at how he had just touched her so suddenly. Not sure whether they had heard the growl or not, the others seemed to not touch her in any form to congratulate her.

"Yes you did most well," Omi started. Before he puffed out his chest and added ", but I am sure I would have done better."

Kuro felt a flare of anger light up in her. Shiro noticed the sudden change in feelings in her sister, gently she placed a hand on her shoulder and looked at her. Their eyes connected for a second. A deep breath rose in Kuro's chest, then it was released. Any anger ebbed away. For few more minutes a silence descended, until Dojo broke it, going back to his gigantic size. Everyone getting onto his back, and leaving. At that moment Shiro and Kuro knew that their new life was going to be exciting, but also full of dangers. Nevertheless they were up for a challenge.


	4. A New Home

Soon a temple came into view as the twins leaned forward to get a better look. The temple was big, each building ripe with the history that had taken place before them. White stone buildings with wooden blue roofs that curved beautifully, while gold laced the sides of the wood. Trees stood around the temple, never moving, like soldiers ready to defend it. The usual smog that suffocated the edges of the city they lived at is instead replaced by clean air that washed down from the mountains. Instead of the chattering and honking of the crowded streets there was the whistling of winds through the trees. A long path wormed it's why to the front steps and travelled further away, disappearing eventually as we dipped lower into the courtyard. All of them hopped off and Dojo returned to a smaller size.

Shiro gazed around, her eyes wide with amazement at how beautiful the architecture was. To most this place may seem plain and simple, but she loved it so much. Kuro however looked around blankly, her face holding no specific emotion. The courtyard was large and has several pieces of training equipment in the corner, while plants had been placed neatly around the area to brighten up the stone yard. It wasn't long until the man they had met previously came out of the closet building, his face held a tranquil expression, but his eyes still brimmed with a wise youthful glint.

"I see you have made it here safely." He addressed the group.

"Yeah, and we got a new wu on the way here." Raimundo grinned and held it up to show him.

"And it was Kuro who won it," Kimiko added, looking over at the fatigued twin.

Kuro was leaned forward a little bit, trying to keep her usual strong stature. But she had found the showdown hard. Even if she did train often and had done athletics at school, it was still a tiring task. Shiro had noticed and kept close to her sister to help her if she needed someone to lean on. He looked over at the two of them, before finally speaking.  
"You two must be tired from your journey. Kimiko please show them both to their rooms."

Kimiko nodded and gestured for them to follow her, before walking into the temple. Both of them followed, welcoming the thought of being able to rest and put their bags down. Shiro stared at the hallways as they walked through them, at one point stopping to look at some ancient pottery, before realising she was going to get left behind, and tried to catch up to them.

"So where are you two from exactly?" Kimiko asked looking bath at the twins.

"We come from the south of Britain," Shiro gazed around as they passed through the tiled halls.

"So like London."

"No, just a little further up though. We were about an hour away." Shiro kept a smile on her face the whole time as they walked, while Kuro's sombre expression seemed to be etched into her skin. It wasn't long till they made it to their rooms, well they weren't really rooms to be honest. Only small spaces sectioned off by walls to allow one another some privacy. In fact there wasn't even a bed. Shiro blinked a few times from the surprised and turned to Kimiko. 

"You don't sleep on beds."

"No, we sleep on the floor. Don't worry you get a pillows and a blanket though."

Shiro bit her bottom lip, but decided not to make a fuss. "That's fine." It wasn't the fact that she would be sleeping on the floor that would be the issue, she had a fear of bugs. And without the advantage of being high off the ground it made her skin crawl with the thought of how many bugs could crawl over her in the middle of the night. Kuro noticed her sister's discomfort, and put her arm around her shoulders.

"Anyway I'll give you some time to settle in, you'll hear a bell when dinner is ready." She smiled and leaves them alone.

A moment of silence passed between the twins as they take in their new surroundings. Their rooms, if you could even call them that, were small and left little room for other things. It was all just so plain and simple. 

"It's different, isn't it?" She said carefully as she considered her words.

Kuro sat down and leaned back ", I don't know how I feel about this place."

Upon seeing the look of uneasiness instead of the usually cold expression on her sister's face she slumped down next to her. "We'll be fine. Everyone seems nice, and it'll be cool to learn about a whole new culture."

"Yeah, you're right." Kuro lied down and stared up at the ceiling, watching as the dust dances in the light


	5. The Lawless Sister

Shiro's back hit the ground with a loud thump as a groan slipped from her lips. A triumphant laugh coming from Omi, "you lost again!" His small shadow cast over her face as she wonders why she is here at all. Shiro has never been a fighter, and while she was willing to learn she was slow to catch up with the others. She pulled herself up into a sitting position and looked at him. 

"Good fight Omi, looks like I still have a lot to learn."

"Maybe I could teach you some moves some time, of course, you'll never be as good as me. But I can still teach you a few moves," these words earned a nervous laugh from Shiro as she couldn't help but think about how his ego is as big as his head, possibly even bigger. 

"Nice try anyway," Kimiko said as she helped her to her feet.

"Thanks" Shiro dusted herself off. "Kuro, you're up." She walked past her sister and patted her on the shoulder, "good luck."  
"I am going to make you wipe the floor once I am done with you," Omi said in a haughty voice.

Kuro raised an eyebrow ", it's I'm going to wipe the floor with you." She got into her fighting stance, "now are we going to fight or talk?"

Omi kept his mouth shut as a moment of silence passed between them, both of them concentrated upon one another. In his haste he was the one who made the first move, rushing at her and jumping into the air, attempting to kick her in the face. But she blocks, bringing her arms up to protect her face, never faltering from her stance. While he was recovering she took a swing at him. He dodged, and tried to sweep her off her feet. But she jumped backwards to avoid his attack, she wasn't about to go down without a fight. The fight went on for a while, neither of them landing proper hits upon the other. Kuro spent most of her time using her arms to defend and dodge, only trying to land a hit when she saw an opening. The others were surprised she could keep up with Omi, they knew she was tough, but they never expected her to be able to keep up with him like she did. Shiro knew her sister spent most of her time working out, but even she was a little surprised. 

"Had enough yet?" He said, the both of them now feeling the heat of the sun flickering against their skin.

"Not even close," she sucked in a deep breath and tried to focus on lasting at least a few more rounds.

At that moment he decided to try again at rushing at her, and in a moment of arrogance she thought she could block like last time. But it was then water appeared out of thin air, striking out at her like a whip as it hit her. Her defence was broken as he continued to strike her, she was able to dodge a few times but he kept coming at her, she had little time to think about what she would do next. On the outside she seemed calm, but a storm was building up inside of her. That expression on his face, filled with arrogance made her so angry.

~Kuro's Perspective~

All I could feel was rage, it bubbled and boiled inside of me, like a torrent of lava rushing through my veins. The way he looked, acted, I hated him the most. Throughout all of this he kept making small comments that wormed their way into my mind, like maggots eating their way through a corpse. How dare he act so high and mighty? He's no better than the rest of us? What makes him so special? The questions kept gnawing at me with jagged teeth, clawing at my control and trying to tear it away from me, even if just for a moment.

"Had enough yet?" He laughed as he stops his attacks for a moment, as if to mock me. I kept silent, unable to say anything that would not become vulgar or display my rage.   
He decided to finish me off with one last attack, he dashed forward, putting his whole body into one last kick. But I snapped, and for a moment everything seemed to go black. And all there was for me, was the sweet embrace of darkness.

"Kuro!" A voice broke through, allowing my vision to clear as my rage disappears, only to see Omi landing on his back, blood trickling down his cheek where he has been cut.   
My breathing becoming heavy with fatigue as I slumped to my knees, confused to what happened in that split second. "Kuro, are you okay?" Shiro grabbed hold of me, her eyes wide with fear and disbelief.

"What...happened?"

"You nearly took Omi's head off" Raimundo piped up, his voice one of confusing, but also laced with an uneasiness. 

"I did...?"  
"You don't remember partner?" Clay asked.

"You suddenly went crazy, you were angrier than Kimiko, and I didn't think that was possible." Raimundo soon received a quick elbowing in the stomach for his comment, groaning in response.

I shook my head ", no I blacked out."

"Yeah, well I would have won if you hadn't done that" Omi huffed, dusting himself off and going to get his cut cleaned up. His body hunched as he muttered things under his breath.

"Well, at least nobody got badly hurt" Shiro tried to make the best of this situation, but this isn't something I can forget. I've got to keep my temper in check, or else I might end up hurting someone again. I don't want to hurt someone, all I want to do is keep Shiro safe. She's the only real one here who matters after all.

~Third Person Perspective~

In the distance, a figure watched. His reptilian eyes focused upon the training monks, but on one had especially caught his attention. That same violet ghost floating next to him, "the dragon of Darkness, how interesting," he murmured as his hand rested upon the head of one of his many cats.

"Why are you wasting more time on these monks? You should be destroying them, not watching them!" The hag cried out in that same ear piercing tone.

"This time it's different, it's true I still want Omi to join me. But she is a force to be reckoned with, she'll be much simpler to manipulate. She's the one. And it's only a matter of time before I set my plan into motion." And with that they disappeared into the growing darkness, preparing for their next move.


	6. Blood and Flowers

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was around the point where I started writing again, this is where I continues from Kuro's perspective only. So if you've gotten this far, congrats, cause I feel like all the chapters from this are so cringy.

"Shen gong wu alert everyone!" The sound of Dojo's bellowed throughout the halls of the temple as I opened one eye. I had just started to fall asleep, and now it was clear I wouldn't get any sleep tonight. 

I hauled myself up from the ground and let my half-open eyes drift down to where Shiro was sleeping, she had always been a deep sleeper. If only I could have slept so well. I sighed and grasped her shoulder, shaking her. The others already up as she snorted a little in her sleep. I shook her again, and again. Until finally she woke up.

"What...What is it?" She yawned, and sat up.

"A new wu has revealed itself" Already up and getting changed. Shiro, realising after a moment of letting my words sink in, hurried to her feet and got dressed. Before we rushed outside to meet the others who were waiting. Both of us getting onto Dojo and setting off to capture whatever wu had been revealed.  
Due to everyone still being drowsy, the flight was relatively quiet. The only thing that kept them awake was the fear of falling off. I was used to staying awake. It wasn't unusual for me to wake up in the middle of night. In fact the flight was calming.

The sky was an inky river, igniting with a million tiny lights that drifted along and reached towards the horizon, and kept going, an endless sea of light. On the wind carried the perfume of flowers, already flourishing and readying themselves for the winter ahead when they will once again return to the earth they came from. It wasn't too bad out here. If I had stayed in the city I would never have seen this, only the blur of artificial embers that seemingly never burn out. I took in a deep breath, the crisp air filling and blooming in my lungs, before being released and becoming an explosion of smoke in the air.

The silence didn't last long though, as the others came out of their sleep-deprived state. Soon discussing what wu had revealed itself. Shiro looked over their shoulders, but I wasn't that interested. I didn't care unless it was an important wu which could be dangerous if in the wrong hands.  
We continued to travel for a while, soon becoming a haze. It wasn't until our descent that I snapped out of it and began to pay attention. 

"Looks like we have company guys," Raimundo leaning over the side, directing his stare at the red-headed Goth who smirked back.

Once we touched the ground, we jumped off. Well Shiro fell off, but that only earned a snort from Jack.  
"Jack Spicer prepare for a humiliating defeat," Omi used his usual intimidation technique, it never worked, but I couldn't be bothered to tell him otherwise.

"Not today Xiaolin Losers, meet my new and improved Jackbots!" Jack pressed a button and his Jackbots appeared. The words 'new and improved' should have been used loosely, they looked like copies of his usual Jackbots, but with bigger saws attached to their arms.

"Jackbots attack!" Jack dashed to the wu as his Jackbots attacked, the saws hissing and buzzing, ready to cut through anything. If they got the chance that is.

Clay and Kimiko took out the robots on the right while Omi and Raimundo went for the wu, taking out any robots among the way. Which was extremely easy once you avoided the blades. Shiro and I were left to take down those on the left. While Shiro isn't the best fighter she can put up a fight, she could never fight a real person, she hates violence. But she made an exception for the robots.  
I rolled to the side as one of the Jackbots tried to attack, taking it out from behind with a kick. Soon taking out the next one with a punch. The sparks erupted out into a frenzy of light as the metal hit the floor with a thump. The wires shredded and lying across the ground like inky entrails.

"Jack should really get so-" It was then I felt the feeling of harsh blades ripping into my side. I'd been arrogant. And had missed a Jackbot coming from behind. The buzz of saws echoed in my mind, like the reaper whispered in my ears. I didn't feel the pain at first, only a numbness that spread throughout my body.

Across the ground I could see crimson splattered, staining the grass. My eyes slowly diverted downwards, towards my side, where the blood soaked my clothing. And then it hit me, the pain, the agony of having a saw rip into me. A strangled cry bursting from my lungs as I fell to my knees. The thick blood gushing from my wound. The pain was an inferno that filled my whole body, my vision becoming blurred as I felt myself drifting away. The muffled cries of those around me hard to make out, as I fell into an embrace that resulted in darkness.

 

White walls towered around me. The floor simply barren and cold to any who dared to walk upon them. I had woken up only a few days ago. The surgery had gone well from what I'd heard, so I shouldn't have to stay in very long, a few weeks at the most. But it felt like it had been an eternity so far. Nothing covered the walls, it was just empty. A room of nothingness. The only sound was the slow, tedious beep of the machines beside me.

I believed I would go crazy if I couldn't find something else to do but lie there and stare at the ceiling. Sometimes I would look outside the window, but all I could see was the concrete beats that sleep and only light up when the sun sinks into the horizon. The only hint of colour in my room was the curtains, a dark green, or had been. Over time they had faded, at some time they must have offered some hope to those before me, but now they were reminders of the lack of hope in this hospital. At one point I had asked for the window to be open. But I was told they couldn't. Perhaps it was to stop some from considering another form of sedative, it wouldn't surprise me. Anyone could be driven mad in such a place.

It was then I heard the door open, turning my head slightly I see that smile which always makes me happy. "Shiro, I'm so glad to see you." I wince as I sit up, a slight smile on my pale face.

"I would have been here sooner, but it seemed like wu would not stop revealing themselves. I'm so sorry for not being here!" She blurted, pulling up a chair so she could sit beside me. "And the others would be here, but another wu revealed itself. So they dropped me off since they were going past." 

"Its fine, I understand. I'm just glad to see you here," I held her hand and squeezed it slightly, noticing she had brought some flowers with her. "Flowers? You really didn't need to bring me anything."

"Well, I've got them. So you might as well keep them," she giggles and puts them down. "And I know that lilies and roses are your favourite." It's true, they were my favourite. Even the delicate pearly petals of the lilies had more colour than the white room, and the roses were a flurry of scarlet that lit up the room even more.

"They're beautiful"

"So, how are you feeling?" She made sure not to let go of my hand. I could see the worry glinting in her eyes.

"I'm fine, if anything the boredom will kill me before the wound." She laughs, her worry disappearing. I laugh a little too, but quickly stop when I feel the pain rush through my side, causing me to cough.

"Are you alright?" The grip on my hand tightened as she looked into my eyes.

"Y-Yeah" I managed to reply despite the pain ", it just still hurts. Looks like I won't be training for a while." The thought of not training frustrated me, but I try not to show it, keeping a smile on my face. "Don't worry so much. They said I'll be out soon."

"Well, I'll be waiting for you." She got up and sat on the edge of the bed, I moved over to make more room for her. "It has been a little lonely without you. But I guess that's because we've never been apart for this long, the last time we were apart was when you were..." She drifted off, she realised what she was about to say and decided it was better not to continue. 

"Hey, I'm fine now. You don't have to ever worry about what happened before, I promised never to put you through that again."

"I know...Sometimes I just worry about you doing it again."

"And I promised you I wouldn't. So don't worry." I pulled her closer with a shaky arm, managing to hug her despite the pain. "Just keep smiling for me alright, that's the best thing you can do for me."

She wrapped her arms around me, careful not to hold me too tightly. "Alright, I love you Kuro."

"And I love you Shiro."

We held each other for a while, some could say we had a strange relationship. We were sisters, but it felt like she was my other half. I was happy, she made this muted hell I had to wait in more bearable.


	7. The Moonless Glade

The weeks crawled on, the room an eternal cage of white and sickness as I waited for my time to leave to come. Infinity passed within the space of a second. But when freedom finally came I felt a weight being lifted, I was free of this hellhole.

I waited in the reception for my sister and the monks to come pick me up, spluttering and coughing from patients infecting the air. And the chattering from the receptionists droned throughout the room, like their sweet, putrid perfume that caused me to gag. The dull lights illuminated the sterile plastic floors only a little bit, only allowing a little bit of light to read the old crusty magazines they left out from last year.

“Kuro” I heard Shiro yell as she rushed in, pulling me into a tight hug which caused me to groan in pain. “Oh sorry, I should have remembered not to hug you too hard,” she smiled sheepishly, loosening her grip upon me.

“It’s alright, it isn’t too painful now.” I glanced over her shoulder to see the others entering, during my time here they had come to see me a bit. But it seemed like these last few weeks especially the wu had been appearing non-stop. “Hey guys” I called out.

“Hey partner, how you feeling?” Clay asked, adjusting his hat.

“A little better, still hurts like a son of a bitch though.”

“Language” Shiro reminded, looking at Omi who had been too busy looking around at the place to hear what she just said.

“Sorry.”

“We’re glad to have you back though; there have been a ton of shen gong wu. We thought it would never end. Would have been helpful if you’d been there, we lost some of them.”

“You lost them to Jack?” I muffled a slight chuckle of embarrassment for them, “Jack might have injured me, but he isn’t exactly a threatening guy. You should have been able to easily defeat him.”

A look passed between them, one I swear carried a sense of dread among my comrades.

“It wasn’t Jack who won them.” Kimiko muttered, cautious about what they should say.

“Then who? Tubbimura, Katnappe, Pandabubba? Who?” I didn’t know what they were so worried about.

There was a pause, it was brief, but still lasted an eternity before they finally let the hideous name pass their lips.

“Hannibal.”

I didn’t know who that was. But by the way each of them looked among each other, looking for any source of solace. It was a name dripping with dread, and beastly intentions. I even saw Dojo flinch at the name. A shudder rushed down my spine in a mad dash to shriek to my senses that they were in trouble. I didn’t need to know who they were. The faces of those around me told me enough. I had been recovering, only to tread back into a new danger.

This wasn’t the time to panic though, “there’s no need to look so down. I know I’ve spent weeks in here, but I think it’s time to leave.” I tried to deflect my worry with a careless chance at ignorance.

“She’s right, come on guys let’s go home” Raimundo added, turning to leave.

We all left. I was eager to leave that place of pestilence and death, the bleach still swirling around my head as we left on Dojo. I would no longer have to listen to the tedious beep of machines, and the taste of insipid food in my mouth. And as we carried on drifting throughout the sun stroked sky, I felt the conversation creep away from me, and onto other things that I couldn’t comment on. Or didn’t think my sombre sense of wit would add to the current topic. And despite being gone for weeks Shiro seemed more latched onto what she was talking about with them, rather than me. I believed after weeks of being gone she would want to talk to me more. Wouldn’t she?

“You seem as quiet as a rabbit back there” Omi chirped, for a moment actually noticing my silence through his own words.

“He means as quiet as a mouse” Raimundo corrected, gazing back.

I should have said something; I knew I should have admitted how alone I was feeling. But instead I blurted out an old repeated line that becomes dry upon the lips of those who sing its tragic tune, “I’m fine.”

 

And as weeks passed by, soon convulsing into months I felt the distance grow and grow, into some beast that devoured the warmth I once felt from my sister. She no longer shared the bed with me, leaving my nights lonely as I spent those lonesome hours gazing at shadows unfurling and falling from the beams, until dusk when the light stretched across the walls into a display of fiery light. I was tired. We had always shared a bed. Some may think it strange, but we were just that close. I found I didn’t have much in common with those around me. So instead I dove into training, even after I had finished my chores and the others relaxed unless disturbed, I went to somewhere I could be alone.

My sanctuary became the nearby forest. The others found it creepy, but to me it was peaceful.

And as I hiked to the thicket of trees, I felt the wind sail by, sending goose bumps rising upon my skin. The trees towering above me, forcing myself between their wooden bodies, the moist moss slippery between my fingers.

I made my way down the path I always took. It felt like I was Alice going down the rabbit hole, and endless sea of trees that stretched out into the unknown. If I went missing in here I don’t think anyone would find me. I’d be lost, forever.

The glade was so close now. It was a small area, where the trees hung and dipped into the light that flooded the small clearing.

I vaulted over a fallen log. Bugs scattering throughout as they devoured the rotting wood. Once again I squeezed myself between the trees before finally reaching it.

Despite the darkness that consumed the forest, this little glade was blessed by light. Flowers littered the verdant ground. In the centre was a large rock that glimmered beneath the sunlight. I was fond of laying against the rock, feeling the warmth that soaked through the stone and onto my skin. The air somehow seemed different in this spot, the loamy aroma that wafted through the air was calming, better than the musty scent from those candles at the temple.

The rest of the day seemed to go fine. I did my stretches, some training, I even got some tai chi in. But I’d underestimated myself. The night before I hadn’t gotten any sleep, usually I can get a few hours in, but this time no matter what I couldn’t seem to fall asleep. I slumped against the rock, checking my phone to see what time it was. Seeing I had plenty of time before I needed to head back, I rested my head back. I was sure I could rest there a while before heading back.

 

When I woke up I was greeted with a jet sky, no stars, no moon. Just a pool of ink above me.

“Shit!” I rushed to my feet, only to be hit with a moment of light headedness. “Fuck, I’m such a moron!” Steadying myself, I tried to gain my bearings so I could get back to the temple as soon as possible.

My eyes darted around, bodying quivering as the cold had set in. A deep bitter wind slicing through me, strands of my hair fluttering into my view. I had to get back.

But as I took my first step, something made me stop, it gripped me from behind like a wolf about to gorge itself upon a lamb.

“Well hello there” I couldn’t misplace the southern accent thick in his sickening voice. I spun around to face that heinous beast before me, stuck in the body of a bean, but behind that crooked grin and cruel crimson eyes. “Shouldn’t you be back at the temple with your little friends?” I stiffened at the way Hannibal spat that final word.

“I don’t want any trouble.” Normally I would have faced danger head on, but I was in no position to be acting reckless. If he wanted to kill me right now it would be so easy to dispose of me, there was no one around to see what he would do.

“Now, why would you assume I was going to give you any trouble little lady? I’m just here to talk.”

To talk? No, he wouldn’t just want to talk, I should have known that. But I felt like I couldn’t run away, like I was frozen.

“Why me?” I managed to squeeze out the question from my tightening throat. My eyes directed on his mouth, unable to meet those eyes glinting with nefarious ideas swirling around that brain of his.

“I noticed you’re not as boring as the others, you’re different.” He looked me up and down, almost hungrily, a beast ready to pounce at any time. “I’ve taken an interest in you, I thought I could help.”

“I don’t need any help” His eyes narrowed, “I mean I’m grateful for the offer, but I’m fine really.”

“Oh sure, you must be really close with all of them at the temple.”

My heart fluttered for a second at those words. Somehow it became painful to hear them. “Yeah, I’m really close to them” I lied.

“So why are you out here instead of with them?”

“I like to be alone,” trying to evade the real truth behind the matter.

“Oh really?” He hopped down onto the rock so he was looking directly into my eyes, his bird leered at me from the branch it had perched itself on. “Are you sure it’s because you want to be alone?”

A squeak had come out in response. All my bravery drained away by one creature who looked like he could be easily squished.

“Or is it because you’re not as close to them as you say? I mean they did steal her from you.” He kept his eyes on me, unwavering as they looked for more of my grief. “How is your sister? She doesn’t seem to talk to you much does she anymore. You two used to always be together.”

“She still hangs out with me. She…She just likes to hang around with them-”

“More?” He intercepted. “It seems to me that she’d rather be with them than you. That she doesn’t love you anymore.”

“Liar. She does love me”

“Are you sure?”

I nodded slowly in response, my lips suddenly feeling dry and my throat tightened to the point where I felt like I was choking.

His grin stretched sickeningly “oh, I believe you. Of course a loving sibling would only visit their sister a few times while they’re in hospital. Despite it being their fault. She must love you dearly.”

“They were busy, she said they had a lot of wu to gather.”

“An excuse,” he accused “if it had been you then she would never have been left alone. You would have visited her every day. But she didn’t. She was the reason for your injury, she distracted you.”

“No” I whimpered.

“She wanted it to happen.”

“No” I whined a little louder, wanting to clamp my hands on my ears so I wouldn’t hear another word.

“Then why didn’t she throw herself in front of the saw, Kuro? I know if it had been the other way around you would have done anything to stop the saw reaching her. But she would never do that for you, none of them did.” He continued, the cruelty rose like a storm in his voice. “They watched, and they enjoyed the thought of disposing of you.”

“No! She loves me, they care about me!”

“Then give me the proof that they care.”

I stopped, my mind a swirling mess of thoughts as I tried to gather the evidence. But I couldn’t find a single shred that would point towards them caring.

“There isn’t any. Because you know they’re scared of you. You’re stronger than them, Kuro. You don’t need them. See how you’ve thrived without them, training out here every single day without break. They don’t show as much dedication at you.”

“They’re not scared, I would never harm them.”

“What about that time with Omi when you were training, you lost it for a second didn’t you?”

I shook my head, they weren’t scared of me. They knew it was an accident. I would never do something on purpose, even after all those other times I’d lost control. I didn’t want to harm anyone.

“You’re powerful, but if you had more power maybe you could make your sister care about you again. You could protect her, and she’d realise the others don’t matter.”

“No…She knows I can protect her, she loves me more than them, I know it!” I tried to fight back with my own words, but somehow they felt fake upon my own tongue.

“You know it’s true, Kuro. Every time you look at them you know the truth, but you’re blinding yourself to it. I can give you the power to take back what is yours.”

I felt like I was suffocating as the shadows seemed to come closer, a sudden feeling of claustrophobia washed over me. As the tree branches reached out like crooked hands, trying to strangle me with gnarled fingers. The wind, no ghosts, whispering into my ear vile words that became bittersweet as they wormed into my head, filling me with thoughts of chaos and self-destruction. Hannibal’s words a vapour that suffocating me with promises, as he continued to tell me of the power he could give me.

“I could give you everything you ever dreamed of, all you need is to drink this,” without even moving a bowl of bubbling liquid was suddenly before him, a scaly tail drooped over the side of the bowl.

“No, I can’t…I won’t betray them” I knew what it was. What he was trying to turn me into and somewhere deep inside it was working as I felt something stir in my very soul at the thought of becoming powerful.

“But they betrayed you; you’re simply taking back what is rightfully yours.”

I kept shaking my head, stepping back, but I stumbled and fell back. “I won’t…” My words felt artificial, I knew in the back of my mind I was considering it. But if I did do it, then I could lose everything.

“At least consider it, and when you want to talk again you’ll know where to find me” His bird swooped down, picking him up as he disappeared as fast as he had appeared.

It felt like my heart was about to burst out of my chest as I gasped for air, the suffocating feeling lifting. “I really need to get back before anything else happens,” I got to my feet and begun jog back. I didn’t want to get caught up with another heylin, so I made it back as fast as possible.

But even when I returned no one had seemed to notice I was gone, they were all eating dinner so I went to join them. They had assumed I’d gone to bed early or was in some other part of the temple. I kept it to myself about Hannibal. I didn’t want to cause any panic. But it’s not like I could tell them about what he offered either. In a way he had been right, I was alone.


	8. The Snake Stirs

The nights that followed Hannibal’s visit left me restless. I felt like I was being watched, all I could think about was his offer and his words. Whenever I looked at my sister I felt like my view had been corrupted, what I once saw as someone who I could depend on, was now a stranger to me. In a way everyone had become a stranger. I wasn’t sure who I could trust. If there was anyone I could trust.

A week dragged by, it was midday by the time we’d finished our training. I slumped against the tree, a veil of sweat on my forehead. An exasperated sigh escaped me. It was hot, too hot to be training in. Of course, we were in China, so it was hot during the summer, but that day had been especially hot. Shiro wandered over to me and sat down, legs crossed as she smiled at me.

“We’re so typically British” she joked, “we complained back home about it constantly raining, but now that it’s hot we complain about that too.” A smile danced on her lips.

It was then I realised I’d been staring longer than I should have been, “o-oh yeah!” A nervous laugh followed.

“You’ve been really quiet since your injury” she mused. “But you’ve always been quiet. Even when we were alone you never talked much.”

“I’ve just had a lot to think about recently” I mumbled.

“Like what?”

“Oh, it’s nothing.”

“It can’t be nothing, we’ve always told one another everything.”

I paused, “I’ve just been thinking about home. You know we haven’t been away from our mum for this long.” The child inside of me tried to tell her the truth, but that darkness which always seemed to regain control swallowed her, before the truth could leave my lips.

“I miss her too. But at least we have lots of new friends.”

“Yeah we do” Before I could even think I spoke again. “But I’ll always be your favourite right?”

“Always” Shiro tackled me to the ground, her arms wrapped around my neck in a tight embrace. “You’re my big sis, no one could replace you.”

A smile tugged at my lips as my arms wrapped around her lithe form. She felt warm, I’d missed those hugs, and it felt like we hadn’t hugged in such a long time. Her scent warm, fragrant, like a rose. And that’s what she was in my eyes, a white rose. I nuzzled into her shoulder, her fair hair caressing my cheek.

She then pulled away, still smiling “hey can I tell you a secret?”

“You know you can tell me anything!” I exclaimed, happy for her to tell me anything. I was just happy to have her talking to me again.

She leaned down, barely containing her giggles of embarrassment as she whispered “I have a crush on Raimundo.”

I didn’t say a word, instead I just listened to her giggles.

“I mean he’s really cute and funny. We enjoy talking to one another, I actually thought he really liked Kimiko.” Her smile grew, “he told me he used to, but they settled on being friends. I find it so hard to hide sometimes, especially when we’re alone.” A blush darkened on her cheeks, “I know a lot of guys used to like me at school. But this is the first guy I’ve liked back, should I make a move?” She looked at me, eyes big and filled with a type of love I’ve never seen before.

“I think…you should go for it.”

“Really!? Thanks!” Once again her arms wrapped around my neck.

I didn’t want to hold her back, even though I wanted Shiro to be always by my side. Part of me knew that our time of being by one another was coming to an end, which I was no longer enough for her in a sense. Even if I was content for it to be us. I knew she wouldn’t be. I wanted to be happy for her, but I felt a sense of loss and jealousy. If they got together she’d depend upon him rather than me, but at the same time I longed for someone I could share my affections with in place of her so I would not feel lonely.

“Tonight after dinner I’ll ask him out,” she clasped my hands in hers. “Anyway, what I really came over to ask you was if you wanted to come and hang out with us all at the nearby river once we’ve finished our chores. We got permission off Master Fung, so please join us.”

“S-Sure, I’d be happy to join you.”

“Great, I’ll see you after our chores!” She got up and ran towards the temple, a big grin still on her face.

 

I was just about to finish sweeping the floors of the temple when Shiro jumped on me from behind, “are you ready yet?”

“Yeah, just give me a sec” I replied, feeling the weight lift off my back. I finished my chore and looked around at her.

She was wearing nice azure summer dress and little white shoes. “Well come on, get changed or we’ll be late!” She grabbed my hand and dragged me to my room.

I went into my small room and pulled the curtain shut so he couldn’t see me changing. I picked out just some shorts and a black vest that hung loosely from my willowy frame. I pulled the curtain open, and left with Shiro.

“The others have already set off, but it shouldn’t take too long to get there.”

We left the temple, as we walked along the path dust was flung into the air. A delightful breeze passed us by, the aroma of blossoms carried on the wind as it cooled us from the summer heat. In the background I could hear the rustling of leaves, but beside me the pleasant hum. With Shiro’s eyes cast up ahead, I turned my eyes to the sky above. A canvas of brilliant blue above me, wisps of white clouds drifting, as though painted by a divine hand.

It wasn’t long till we could hear Kimiko shouting our names, “you guys finally made it!” She waved a hand out.

We made our way over and down a small slope where a small river was carved into the earth. The river was a sleeping snake, it sweeps across the land in its smooth seductive curves, the light dancing across the surface like shimmering scales. But by autumn, when the rain poured down it would become a torrent of spitting venom to catch those unlucky in its depths.

“What took you guys so long?” Omi chirped, looking over from his place next to Clay who was lying lazily among the grass.

“Kuro just needed to finish her chores” Shiro replied.

Soon we settled down, Kimiko and Shiro chattering away in the background as I wandered around the river’s edge. I hopped onto one of the rocks within the river, cold water licking at my feet which left a pleasing sensation as it cooled me down.

“Be careful, wouldn’t want you to fall” I heard Raimundo call out as he filled Clay’s hat with sticks and dirt while he slept, just so he could later watch Clay’s hilarious reaction to him messing with his hat. Omi too busy meditating in the shade to notice the trick being played on their friend.

“Oh, y-yeah” I called back, a nervous laugh coming from me. I had never talked much to Raimundo, despite him being the leader of the group we had never really sat down and spoken to one another. I saw his brow furrow a little as he stared at me, like he was in deep thought about something.

My eyes diverted back to the ground, as I hopped over to the next rock. I kept messing around in the river for a while, every so often a silver fish darting beneath the surface. After a bit I looked over at the others, Raimundo had made his way over to my sister while Kimiko seemed to be coming over to meet me.

“Having fun?” Kimiko asked as she slipped off her shoes, before sitting down and dipping her feet into the cool water.

“Yeah” I looked away. The silence that followed soon became awkward as I attempted to be friendly. “It’s pretty hot today.”

“Yup, although I’m mostly used to it by now. It’s always nice to relax though.”

“Summer’s going to end soon though, in a few weeks it’ll be raining and we’ll be stuck inside.”

“You’ll be used to the rain though, from what Shiro said British weather is pretty crap.”

I laughed slightly, “Well if one stereotype is true about Britain, we have bad weather.”

She smiled, “well maybe at some point we’ll get to see how bad it is. We still haven’t had a wu reveal itself there.” She paused, leaning on her hand as she looked at me, her eyes flickered up and down. “We haven’t really talked much have we? I mean, you and your sister have been here for months, but it feels like Shiro talks for the both of you.”

“I’m just…quiet…”

“Well maybe you could try to be a little less quiet. We are a team, it’s a little hard to fight when we can’t communicate with one of our teammates.”

I paused, I understood what she was saying. But rage had begun to bubble up within me, a fire lit in my stomach, what did she mean by that? They weren’t exactly talking to me either, and talking took two people (most of the time), so they could have started a conversation with me anytime.

The corners of my mouth twitched as I tried to hold back the sudden anger I felt, so I decided to hide it with a smile that dripped with fake friendliness. “Sure, I’ll try to talk more.”

Kimiko’s head tilted a little, before she smiled sweetly “that’s good.” She got up, picking up her shoes and went to join Shiro again, leaving me to my own endeavours.

Soon the blue faded as scarlet blazed across the sky, followed by amethyst, soon the twilight would beckon the stars. But for now the sky was adorned in a vibrant display of reds, oranges and purples. In a way it was predicting the incoming inferno in a façade of beauty. Behind me I could hear Clay muttering curses beneath his breath as he cleaned his hat, not happy with Raimundo’s trick, he swore Raimundo would get what was coming to him.

“We should head back” Shiro got to her feet and stretched, “dinner should be ready.”

“Yeah, and it’ll be dark soon,” Kimiko dusted off her clothes as Omi got up.

We all begun to head back, I could hear everyone ahead chatting. It was then I caught Raimundo looking back at me, slowing down his pace until he was level with me.

“You should really talk to us more, you are part of the team. And it’s fine for you to be quiet, but we barely know you’re here half of the time.”

I folded my arms and kept my head low, “I just don’t talk much alright.”

“And that’s fine.”

“If it’s fine then stop trying to change me.”

“We’re not trying to change you.”

I felt my rage from before resurface. Why couldn’t I accept what they were saying? If only I could have understood what they were all trying to tell me. But I thought that if I kept to myself then everything would be alright. I felt my nails dig into my arm.

“Then let me be quiet, I don’t point out things about you guys that annoy me.”

Raimundo tensed, clearly he had not taken my comment lightly. “Look, all we want is for you to communicate with us more. Maybe if you were more involved with us your accident wouldn’t have happened.”

“And maybe you need to back off before I do something I’ll regret,” I hissed through gritted teeth. I was afraid of doing something terrible, Shiro had seen what I could do when someone pushed my temper to its limits. And I’d promised her I would try to stop it from happening. The rage begun to consume me, dark imprints being left on my pale skin from how hard my nails were digging in.

Raimundo had this look of disbelief, as though he was processing the fact I’d threatened him. He was the team leader, and everyone respected that. But he had found someone who didn’t respect him like the others, even Omi had seemingly accepted the fact that he was team leader, even if sometimes his respect did slip.

“Fine, have it your way” his pace sped up again as he caught up with the others.

At dinner I kept quiet like usually, but every so often I noticed the looks I was getting from Raimundo. I knew he wanted to bring it up, so that everyone could confront me. But something made him hold his tongue. I was at least thankful for that. I simply kept my mouth shut as everyone chattered around the table.

As I made my way back to my room I heard hushed voices in one of the rooms, I slowed my pace and kept to the shadows as I peeked around the corner. I found Shiro and Raimundo sitting together, their backs to me as the door which led outside was open, so they were looking out on the garden. The moon hung low in the sky, casting moonlight upon them both. Shiro’s hair looked like the petals of a lily, flowing gently in the breeze. Her eyes illuminated by the hope and love she was feeling at that moment.

“Raimundo, I’ve wanted to say this for a long time but I was too scared. But now I’ve finally gained the courage to tell you” her next words had sent an agony flooding my chest, as waves crashed down upon my heart, “I like you and I wonder if you want to go out with me.”

Raimundo paused for a moment as his eyes widened, he seemed surprised by this meek girl’s words, it was then his face softened as a smile was painted on his face in one slight movement. “I would love to go out with you.”

Shiro flinched as she realised she’d forgot to breathe, letting in a huge breath before looking up at him. Her hands tightly grasped together where her heart was, before she flung herself onto him. Arms tight around his neck as she giggled, a grin stretched on her porcelain face. His arms wrapped around her waist, and they held one another.

I pressed myself against the wall, arms around myself as my head rested backwards. My eyes locked upon the dark ceiling above as the jealousy, grief and anger swelled up inside of me like a cancerous growth which would never stop until it consumed me. A hand seized my mouth to stop the sobs from clawing their way out of my lips.

Before they could catch me I escaped to my room, pulling the curtain shut as I barely made it before I fell to my knees. Tears spilling over as they stained the wooden floor. It kept replaying in my head, the way she looked at him, like he was the only thing that mattered. It hit me that I was no longer her favourite. That she no longer needed me. A sob slipped past my lips, soon followed by another till I could not contain them. My throat tightened, and vision blurred in a flurry of tears that threatened to blind me forever.

Thoughts of Shiro overflowed my mind, but then burned away by thoughts of how imperfect I was compared to her. In both body and mind I was no comparison for her. The beautiful curves that roamed her frame, while mine was masculine, no breasts to flaunt, no hips to show off, a disgusting reminder of what I wasn’t. While Shiro could simply smile and people smiled with her, one word and people said only pleasant things. If only I could do that, if I could make people smile, or have them say nice things about me. But I wasn’t Shiro. I was me. I was disgusting, and that’s why I could never dare ask for the same affection she deserved.

It was then new ideas crept into my mind, as Hannibal’s offer became more appealing as the night drifted on. He was right, that’s all I could think about. I’d been a fool to believe I could even be a part of the group. Why couldn’t I see it before? Why couldn’t I be honest and stop trying to see the world for more than it really was? A desolate place where the lonely roam until the end, lost in the shadow of those who matter more. In my mind I didn’t matter, I was nothing.

It was then I made a decision, one that would haunt me for the rest of my existence.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I'm curious, which twin do you guys like the most? Please comment and let me know.


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